


Pretend

by LegolasLovely



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Not Related, Artist Kíli, Artists, First Meetings, Idiots in Love, NASA, Prompt Fill, WinterFRE2020, scientist Fíli
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-12
Updated: 2020-02-12
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:48:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22684984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LegolasLovely/pseuds/LegolasLovely
Summary: Summary: Fili is a data scientist at NASA and Kili is an artist who was hired to paint a mural on the overpass bridge outside the NASA facility. Staring through the window of Fili’s office may or may not go on.
Relationships: Fíli/Kíli (Tolkien)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 40
Collections: GatheringFiKi - Winter FRE 2020





	Pretend

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt 104: Fili, a NASA scientist, and Kili, an artist  
> Pairing: Fili/Kili - Modern AU, Fili and Kili are not related  
> A/N: They’re such dorks, that’s all I have to say.
> 
> Go look at this beautiful photoset Lakritzwolf (on tumblr and here on AO3) made for this work as a prize for WinterFRE! Go Look! NOW! It's [here](https://lakritzwolf.tumblr.com/post/617101338462093312/my-raffle-prize-for-legolaslovely-for-pretend-a)

There had been a lot of deception going on in the NASA parking lot this week. Deception, pretending, acting, bluffing, masquerading- however you wanted to put it, it was happening. Nothing was exactly malicious, but the two men involved were definitely not being truthful with themselves, each other or anyone around them.

Fili spent his days at his desk by the window, pretending not to notice the dark, lean artist on the boom lift outside. Fili was a diligent employee- he kept his eyes on his work and not on the over sized jeans Killian “Kili” Durin was wearing that had rags stuffed in the back pocket and splashes of finger tipped color all over the hips and thighs. He did not stare and most definitely did not groan aloud when the man he had never spoken to raised his arms to work on the lining overhead, leaving his shirt to ride up and reveal light skin, dark curls, and hip bones- all not delicious in the slightest. Nope.

Most importantly, Fili’s blood wasn’t boiling from the women in his office ogling and drooling over the artist that he didn’t know or care about. He was simply frustrated by his research and the most recent data supporting the terrifying and increasing existence of global warming, despite the constant twitter rantings of one idiotic, moronic, clueless, elementary president. 

“Artists are good in bed, you know. They live by different rules than the rest of society.”

“No one should be allowed to be that handsome.”

Fili’s keyboard clicked louder than usual as his fingers slammed the buttons. _Fucking useless president should look at this report about the melting ice caps and then tell me global warming is a conspiracy theory,_ Fili thought.

“I bet he’s good with his hands-”

“Can you ladies please take this conversation somewhere else?” Fili said with raised brows.

The three of them nodded, “Sorry, sir,” and left.

Fili did not peek outside to see dexterous fingers and veined hands create long blue lines- perfect, precise and flowing under the overpass bridge they were hired to work on. He did not think of other things those hands could do. That would be inappropriate. He was at work. 

Similarly, Kili, outside, sweating despite working under the shade of the bridge, pretended not to notice the handsome NASA scientist who barely looked up from his research and sat just through the window. Kili did not chose his schedule to match the blonde’s and he would never purposefully set the boom lift at a height that allowed him to see the other man perfectly any time he turned his head just right. To get the sun out of his eyes. That’s all. 

He was painting with golds and blues because he was hired to paint the sun, not because this man warped his mind to see blond hair and blue eyes wherever he went. That would be ridiculous. Kili was a professional. He would never waste his time combing this particular branch’s website to understand the exact duties of this “Phillip” man who went by Fili- he had more important things to do with his time.

Above all else, if Kili happened to glance to the parking lot below at 6:10 pm every afternoon, it was not because he knew the scientists on the day shift got out at 5:30 and the blond data researcher always stayed to finish extra work before he left for the day. He didn’t wait religiously for Fili to wave goodbye to the security guard at the door before he crossed the lot, fishing his red NASA key chain out of his pocket. And he surely did not wait for this man- this stranger- to nod at him with a small smile that was the sun itself, no. No. 

While Kili was busy not painting golden waves and sky blue orbs, Fili was too preoccupied with anything but warm, calloused hands to notice one of the human resources secretaries come up to his desk with a stack of papers. 

“These were just faxed over from headquarters for you,” Dawn said. “He never takes a break, does he?”

“Who?” Fili asked, not quite listening.

“The artist,” she said, finally giving Fili a valid excuse to stare at the painted hand prints on the back pocket of Kili’s worn jeans. “He’s been out there every day. Gets here before I do and doesn’t leave until it’s too dark for him to work. I’ve never seen him take a break- similar to _someone_ I know.”

Fili rolled his eyes. “I take breaks.”

“Replying to emails on the toilet doesn’t count as a break.”

He scoffed. “How about you take a break from monitoring my breaks?”

“Ah, but there are no breaks to monitor and I’m sick of saying this word, so why don’t you just go take a _you know what_?”

After another glance out the window, Fili pushed back his rolling chair and stood. “I think I will.” He chuckled at Dawn’s dropped jaw and stalked past her, downstairs to the cafe.

Kili didn’t mind working in the rain. He was sheltered by his own work, the waves and shapes and colors he’d finished in the days before. The rain was warm and made the ground around him soft and fresh smelling. The sound was a personal soundtrack for his art and his distracted, ever present thoughts he pretended not to have about Fili, the beautiful, blond scientist. So when he heard a smooth voice from below and saw the aforementioned beautiful, blond scientist, Kili thought he was imagining it at first. 

“What did you say?”

Fili held a saran wrapped sandwich high in the air. “Do you like chicken salad?”

“Love it,” Kili called down. More pretending. “Watch out, I-I’m coming down.” The lift chugged to life with a pull of the lever and Kili slowly descended to the ground, but it didn’t give him enough time to think of something intelligent to say. So he stuck out his hand, saw it was covered in paint, and sucked it back into his body again. “I’m Kili,” he said, grabbing the rag from his pocket. 

“Phillip. Or Fili.” He handed Kili the offending sandwich. 

Kili jumped to the ground and ran a hand through his thick, dark hair. “You wanna sit?” he asked, pointing to the lift. “Well, actually, it’s raining, so maybe not-”

“I don’t mind the rain,” Fili said. He moved to sit and almost leapt out of his skin when large, warm hands caught his waist. 

“Wait- wait a second,” Kili said. “It’s dirty.” He couldn’t even pretend he didn’t get lost in those wide blue eyes before he remembered how to move his feet to retrieve a clean tarp from his gear. He laid it out on the lift and sat, unwrapping his sandwich that he would force himself to eat because this gorgeous man bought it for him.

A few bites went by in agonizing silence- Fili trying not to stare at the hands he’d been thinking of for days straight and Kili secretly taking mental screenshots of deep dimples that would star in his sketches later. Then finally, Fili spoke.

“I’ve enjoyed watching your mural grow. It’s- it brightens the whole office, really. It’s very… dynamic.” _Really?_ he thought. Fili was an avid art collector, but Kili would never know that based on the line he just used. He wanted to ride the lift to its greatest height and throw himself off of it. But his thoughts stopped completely at Kili’s bright, toothy grin. 

“Thanks. It will take a few more days to finish, but so far it’s been going as planned. You won’t be going on any space expeditions any time soon, right?”

Fili couldn’t help but chuckle at the drastic change of subject that Kili himself could barely seem to keep up with. “No. I like to leave that to the astronauts. Why?”

“Would you want to eat- a sandwich here? Again? Same time tomorrow?”

Fili nodded, dimples now permanent fixtures in his cheeks. “Yeah.”


End file.
